ATLANTA — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt its investigation into noncitizen voting in Georgia and eight other states ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The ruling, issued Wednesday by a U.S. District Court judge in California, temporarily blocks the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Unlawful Voter Initiative” until polls close on Election Day.
The judge found that the initiative’s methods likely constitute voter intimidation and violate the Voting Rights Act.
According to the ruling, Homeland Security agents have been visiting people’s homes to question them about their immigration status and voting history.
The judge also raised concerns about the initiative’s reliance on incomplete and inaccurate data to identify potential noncitizen voters.
During a “surge” phase of the investigation, agents were instructed to spend no more than 12 minutes per person determining whether they were legally qualified to vote.
The ruling also cited a social media campaign showing federal agents visiting homes and making arrests. The judge found that the combination of flawed data and the publicized enforcement efforts created a reasonable fear of voter intimidation and caused irreparable harm.
The judge said the injunction would help protect participation in the upcoming elections.
However, the judge stayed the order until Friday to allow the federal government time to appeal.
In response, DHS said its efforts are focused on removing noncitizens who “vote and dilute the votes of U.S. citizens.”
The ruling comes as the Justice Department continues pushing states, including Georgia, to provide unredacted voter registration records.
Thirty states have refused to turn over the information, citing privacy concerns. The Justice Department has filed lawsuits in response but has lost every case so far.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is among the state officials who have refused to provide unredacted voter rolls.
Last month, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Raffensperger over the state’s refusal to release the records.
The ruling comes as early voting continues in Georgia, with Election Day scheduled for November 3.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Veronica Waters contributed to this story.
